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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 15. Number 2, June 2024 Pp.288- 304
Department of English, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Dhar Al Mahraz, Sidi
Mohammed Ben Abdelah University, Fez, Morocco
Department of English, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Dhar Al Mahraz, Sidi
Mohammed Ben Abdelah University, Fez, Morocco
Since acquiring critical thinking is a necessity to make sense of today’s world, many teachers are looking for effective strategies that they can utilize in their classrooms to help students become apt critical thinkers. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate some of those strategies by adopting a mixed-method action research approach that was designed to implement, track, and evaluate the impact of integrating critical thinking-based instruction and activities as a part of the school curriculum to promote critical thinking skills and dispositions among Moroccan high school students. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the field of critical thinking-based instruction in EFL education, as it can inform teachers, curriculum developers, and other education stakeholders on how to enhance students’ critical thinking. Hence, the main questions posed by this study dealt with identifying the most effective instructional activities to develop students’ critical thinking and their impacts on students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions. The study sample consists of a class of 14 students who were selected to participate in a four-stage action research cycle for one school year. The 14 students were also invited to complete a questionnaire, and then six of them were selected to take part in semi-structured interviews. The study’s findings reveal a noticeable and encouraging improvement in students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions. Furthermore, the study provides practical implications for EFL teachers to promote students’ critical thinking without disrupting the school curriculum.
Keywords: critical thinking, critical thinking dispositions, critical thinking skills, EFL teachers, mixed-method action research
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Samira EL-Asri is an English language instructor. She is currently conducting her PhD research on the manifestation of critical thinking in speaking among students at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. Her main areas of interest include Critical Thinking, Language Teaching and Learning, Cross-Cultural Learning.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7982-5796
Dr. Abderrahim El Karfa is a Professor of English and Applied Linguistics in the Department of English at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. His main research and training interests are Applied Linguistics, Leadership and Education, Language Education Policy, Citizenship Education, Lifelong Learning, Critical Thinking Education, Gender and Education, and Education for Sustainable Development. elkarfa@yahoo.fr
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5927-2575